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Madagascar – Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn.

Ravenala, the traveller’s palm, is not a palm but a relative of the bird of paradise flower. It is the most emblematic of Madagascar’s plants and is the symbol of the national airline, Air Madagascar. Garden scientists discovered that its unusual flowers are pollinated by lemurs, the first report of lemur pollination. Garden staff have been exploring and documenting the flora of Madagascar for more than 40 years, continuing to discover new species. Because of the island’s long separation from other land masses — more than 80 million years — the flora is highly endemic. Of the more than 11,000 native species currently known, 9,581 (86.4%) are found nowhere else in the world. Much of the native flora is extremely threatened or endangered.

Learn more about the Garden’s program in Madagascar.